2.28.2011

On Sunday, after church, the three of us took a peaceful stroll through the garden. We slipped quietly between the trees and around the blooming gardenias, enjoying a warm breeze and the sight of our little Hudson as he explored the beauty of his surroundings. He stopped to play at a large boulder, tucked between the hedges, and Will told us that when he was a child, he was fascinated with the same rock....which he always called the "Angel's Table". Our stolen moments in the garden were lovely, and the time we spent enjoying nature further instilled our ever-growing love for the weekends.

By nightfall, we had shucked off our stilettos & Sunday best, in favor of flat shoes & oh-so-comfy clothing. We gathered around the tv, for a night of Oscar Watching. Will and I even filled out awards ballots, for a little friendly competition (I squeaked by and won, but we were tied up until Best Picture. Thank goodness I chose The King's Speech!) .

After the broadcast finally ended, I was left feeling a little blah. I mean, all in all, there was nothing to complain about, except, well, everything:

-The hosts did not live up to my expectations. (James Franco, I really like you, but why were you so glum & dazed? I guess one young guy can't do it all- writer, artist, movie star, tv actor, student, and Oscar host? And Anne, did you really have to scream "whooooo" loudly into your microphone every time a star graced the stage? Have mercy on my ears.)

-The fashions were boring. (ScarJo, why? Why? With that tragic dress, and fresh out of the shower 'do, you looked like you were going to a house party, not the biggest night in Hollywood. And Reese? Why, oh why did you wear all that fake hair? You're not fooling us, sister.)

-The entertainment was lacking. (Franco in drag? No thanks. Gwyneth as a country singer? An even bigger no thanks.)

On a positive note, there were a few things that I actually enjoyed: the playful bickering between Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law, the opening sequence, and a few fashionable frocks (Gwyneth's first dress, Mila Kunis in lavender, Natalie Portman in flowing purple, and Anne Hathaway's royal blue dress.)

-arrange the feathers, then wrap and tie a string around the top of the bunch. Cut off what's left of the feather stems above the string, so that you have a clean cut. Put a dab of Mod-Podge on the top of the bundle of feathers.

-gather your open crimp end (I used a 9mm sized crimp) and your arched earring wire. (I used natural brass color for both.)

-put the open back of the crimp towards the backside of your feather bundle.

2.22.2011

It was one of those mornings. Bored with our surroundings, and itching to get out of the house. So, we hit the road, Jack. And we found ourselves on a mini-roadtrip, headed north.

We followed the curving two-lane roads through the rolling hills of Southern Tennessee, driving through spotty rain showers that wet the windshield just enough to turn on the wipers. Our destination was the tiny town of Lynnville, Tennessee. We were in search of a little taste of Roadside Kitsch, in the form of a real, live, retro soda shop.

Soda Pop Junction, located right in the middle of Lynnville's sleepy downtown in a brick building that appears to have changed little since it was built in the 1880's, was featured on The Food Network show Unwrapped. Not only is it an authentic soda fountain, but it was also voted as having Tennessee's #1 burger. As foodies, we couldn't pass up the short 60 mile drive to check out the place to grab a bite, and simultaneously introduce Hudson to a blast from the past.

Upon entering Soda Pop Junction, it quickly became clear that the Mayberry-esque lifestyle is still alive and well. Families sat in mismatched chairs, eating BLT sandwiches and slurping down milkshakes. Three elderly men squeezed around the closest table to the tiny television, to talk weather and watch Tennessee basketball. We found our way to our own little spot, close to the back, wedged between a vintage player piano and a wall full of Elvis memorabilia, and perused the menu which featured lots of ice cream, and some Southern favorites.....fried bologna sandwiches, anyone? Will, of course, decided to try out the famous burger, while Hudson and I opted for the grilled cheese.

It was a neat place, and after a friendly goodbye from the young waitress, we went on our way. As we drove back towards home, we couldn't help but pull off the main road, onto a gravel entryway, under a massive iron sign reading: Milky Way Farms. While in Lynnville, we realized from the memorabilia, that the little town possessed one other claim to fame....

Milky Way Farms was built in the swingin' 1920's, by Frank Mars. A king of confections, Mars was the founder of The Mars Candy Company and creator of Milky Way and Snickers bar among others. In addition to the beautiful property, there sits atop the hill a magnificent, 25,000 sq. foot manor house. There is no one currently living there, so we found our way up the gravel path to take a look around at the massive home. Huge and beautiful, it's a perfect Tudor Revival-style mansion. Mr. Mars died shortly after the estate was established, in 1934, but his wife went on living there, raising thoroughbred horses....one of them was Gallahadion, the winner of the 1940 Kentucky Derby.

Soda Pop Junction was great, and Milky Way Farms was grand. We had a wonderful day, visiting two of Tennessee's sweetest spots.